Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-08-03
= Serial storp*
j E SS.
BY II. RIDER H.iGGARD.
AUTHOR OF "KING SOIOM0N'S MINES,
''SIIE, ETC., Ere.
CHAPTER NNNIl1.
VENGEANCE.

perrl tO~,thcr after which the HOttentOt
roS, to 90 and lind ont how things We're
among the HurrS below. and see when Frank
Muller retired 10 his tent As soon rs he had
marked linn down he was to come back and
report 70 Jess. and then the final steps were
to he decided on.
When he w,> gone jess gave Il sigh of re-
lief This >trrin. UP of Jantje to the boiling
pon, of vengeance had been dreadsll thing
TO nerve herself To do: hut now at any ratio 1t
was done and the deed settled upon. But
what the end of it would he none could say.
She would practically be q murdcrcSS, and
she felt sooner or later her guilt would find her
out, and then she would have little mercy to
hope for Still she had no ScruplcS. for after
ali Frank Muller'S would be Il well mcritcd
doom. But when all was said and done it
was a dreadful thing to he forced to steep her
hands in blood even for Bc>ScS sake. Ii
Muller were slain Bessie would marry John,
provided John escaped from the Beers,
and be- happy: but what would be-
come of her: Robbed OF her love, and
with this crime upon her mind, what
could she do. even if she escaped
except die: 1t wou., De better to die and
never See him again, for her sorrow and her
then she began to think of John till all her
poor blui>e,. heart seemed to go out toward
him. Bessie could never love him as she did,
she felt sure of that, and yet Bessie was to have
him bv her all her life, and shc-shc was to
20 away. Well it was the only thing to do.
She would see this deed done and set her sister
free, and then if..she happened to escape she
would go-Go right away, where she would
never bc heard of again. Then at any rate,
she would have behaved like an honorable
womuE She sat up and put her hands to
her face. 1t was burning hot, though she
was wet through, and chilled to the bone
with the raw damp Of the night. \ fierce
fever OF mind and body had taken hold OF
her. worn out as she was with emotion,
hunger and protractcd exposure. But her
brain was clear enough: she never remeni-
bered its being so clear before. Every
thought that came into her mind seemed 10
present itself with startling viridncsS, stand
ng out by itself against 4 black background
of nothingncSS, not softencd and shaded down
one into another as thoughts generally are.
She seemed to see herself wandering away
alone, utterly alone, alone fOrcver.-whlle III
the far distance John stood holding Bessie by
the hand and gazing after her rcgretfully.
Well, she would write to him, since it must
be so, and bid him one word Of farewell She
could not 60 without it. She had pencil,
and in the breast of her dress was the Boer
pass. the back Of which, stained rs it was with
water. would serve the purpose of paper.
She drew it out and. bending forward toward
the light placed it on her knees.
Good BY" she wrote good by. We can
never meet again. and it is better that we
never should. in this world. Whether there
is another do not know. If there is. shall
wait for You there. Ii not, then good by for
ever. Think of me sometimes, for L have
loved You very dearly, and as nobody VIII
ever love you again; and while live III TINS
or any other world. and am myself, shall
always love you and you only. Don't forget
me. Incvcr shall he really dead to YOU until
| am forgotten. D."
She lifted the paper off her knee and then
put it back again and began to Scrlhblc III
verse quickly and almost without correction.
1t was Il habit OF hers, though she never
showed what she wrote, and now 1t asserted
itself irrc>lstibly and half unronScouSly:
When hands that clasp thine own in seeming
truth.
Or lingrr in c;irrSS UPON thy head,
Have rudcly broke the idols of thy youth
And cast them down amid thy treasured dead.
Remember me-
When she had got thus far she stopped, dis
satisfied and, running her pencil through the
lines, hcgan aircsh:
III ! should die tonight
Then w"ull'>t thou look upon my quiet face.
Before they laid III. i'll my resting place,
And deem that death had made it almost fair;
And layins SNOW white flowers against my hair
Would's st on INV cold check tender kisses press
Aud fold my hands with lingering carcSS,
Poor hands. so empty and 50 cold Tonight
"lf l should die tonight
Then would'St thou call to mind with LOVING
thought
Some kindly deed the icy hands had wrought,
Some tender words the frozen lips had said
Erran,ls on which the willing feet had sped:
The memory of my passion and my pride,
And every fault would sure br set aside.
So should be forgiven of all Tonight.
Death waits OH me tonight,
Fen now NV summons echoes from atar
And grave miStS gather fast about my star
Think gently of me: am travel worn.
Nv falterug feet are pierced with many thorn,
The bitter world has made my faint heart bleed.
When drranleSS rest is mine shall not need
l
She stopped, apparently more because she
had got to the end of the paper than for any
other reason. and. without even rereadlnS
what she had written, pushed the pass back
into her bosom and was soon lost Ill thought.
Ten minutes later Juntj j. came creeping III
to where she sat like Il great snake III human
form. his yellow face shining with the rain
drops
WELL" whispered jess, looking up with
start, "h;tve You done it,
NO, missile. 10. Baas Frank has but now
gone to his tent. He has been talking t the
clergyman, something about MiSsio Bessie,
don't k/ow what l was near, but he talked
low and could only hear the name"
Have the Boer> all gone t" Sleep
'.All missile. except the S"ntrlcS.H
rs there sentry before Baas Frank 5 tent"
No, missile there is nobody hear
What is '',e time, Jantjc:
about three hours and u half after sun
down. uO:U).
Let us wait half an hour, and then you
must GO
Accordingly they sat i'll silence. In silence
they 81. facing each other and thetr own
thoughts. Presently Jantje broke 1t by draw
ing the hi. white handled knife and com
mcncing I" sharpen it on piece OF leather
The sight made jess feel sick. Put the
knife up" she said, quickly; 1T is sharp
enough"
Jantjc "lcy"d with fechl" grin and the
minutes pi,>>,.! on heavily.
"Nrw Jamtjr," She said at length, speaking
nli,kilr III her struggle to overcome tn" spas
mouic comtGuctons Of her throat, "it Is tim"
for yOu I" 90.
The IIntt"nt"t ilyrtcd about, and at la>t
spoke.
Miss" must c"Iu" with me-"
"C"nr with y"u,' answered jess. with Il
tart. "why:"
"l;",.arl>c tine ghost nt th,. old English w"-
man will com" after me II | 90 ALONE
"N"u f"oi," said jess ;mgrilv, and then
ra.oll"rtim. herself. added "tol,r. l." II man,
.Iautir think of your father and mother,
ami b. man.
II am Il man, Il" answered >uiklIv. ami |
will Kill linn k" Il man, hut what .,u"i j.
IMAM a-aiu>t the ghost "f II dead English
woman. Ii ,nIt TIA" knit. int" h,'r >ll.. would
nulv mak.. faces and lir" would com" out al
,h,. hnl,.. will not 20 without y'.u. ui>>i.
"Nnu must -" >h,. said. i''m"ly. you
snail 90
no. mi>~i", viii n", /" alone, h. an
>wrrrd.
jess l,"l,I ut linn and Saw that Ii" mean:
what H." sad H." was g"ttim-, >tlkr, and the